Gas-generator



J. G. HOCK.`

. Gas Apparatus. No. 19,777.; I Patented March 30, 1858.

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JOHN G.` HOCI, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

GAS-GENERATOR.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 19,777, dated March 30, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. HOOK, of Newark, in the county of Essex andState of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full., clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making apart' of this specication, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section ofthe apparatus complete. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the retort andfurnace, at right angles to Fig. 1, in the plane indicated by the line--x- Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the furnace, in the planeindicated by the line y, y, in Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4 is a plan of thegas-holder, condenser, and purifier. Fig. 5, is a horizontal section ofthe furnace door frame.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

My improvements are more particularly designed for small gasworks fordwelling houses and public buildings, though they are wholly or in partapplicable to gasworks on a larger scale.

They consist in certain provisions for vaporiZing the tar fromcoal orother gas and returning it in a state of vapor to the retort, to bedecomposed and converted into gas, which improvement is also applicableto the vaporization of rosin oilor other substance of a liquid state orcapable of liquefaction by heat, previous to its introduction to thebody of the retort, to be decomposed or converted into gas.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the retort furnace, constructed with such an arrangement of flues(not necessary to be herein described) as to cause the products ofcombustion to take a circuitous direction around about the retort. Thedoor of this furnace is lined with lire-clay inserted in a peculiarmanner, to wit, by inclosing a slab p, of fire-clay in a double ironframe fm, n, (as shown in Figs. l and 5,) the two parts of which frameare hinged together on one side by a hinge 0, (Fig. 5.) The innerportion m, of this frame, which fits around the slab, is made entirelyopen on the outer side to admit the slab, but has a small rim 6, 6, onthe inner side for the slab to rest against, and the outer portion n,fits over the inner portion m, and is made with a plate 8, to cover theexterior of the slab. The main hinge g, on which the door opens isattached to the inner portion m, of the frame, which admits of thevouter portion n, being opened while the door is in its place, for thepurpose of introducing the fire-clay slab or replacing it by a new one,if at any time necessary. The part n is secured to m, on the sideopposite the hinge, after the slab has been introduced and shut up, bymeans of a bolt passing through loops l0, 10, or by any other kind offastening.

B, is the retort constructed with a raised chamber B1, on the top, nearthe rear end,

and with a chamber C, extending from top to bottom at the extreme rear,the saidl cham bers B1, and C, being both closed at the top by a singlecover D, which is movable when necessary. The chamber B1, which is infree communication with the main body B, of the retort, and with whichthe upper part of the gas outlet pipe E is connected, contains a seriesof shelves a, c, on which to place lime or other purifying material,over which, by a proper arrangement of openings in the said shelves, thegas is caused to pass to effect its partial purification as it is aboutto leave the retort by the pipe E. The chamber C has no communicationwith the main body B, of the retort, except at a passage p1, at thebottom and. below a grating or perforated plate b, which is fitted toand supported in the retort near the bottom for the purpose of leavingan open space c, below the coal or other solid gas-making material ywith which the retort is charged, which Inaterial is intended to restupon the said grating.v This grating or perforated plate b, may beconstructed in two or more pieces so as to be capable of withdrawal atthe `mouth of the retort if necessary.

The chamber C, which is heated like the main body of the retort,contains an upright vaporizer G, of conical, pyramidal, or other taperform, terminating in a point or nearly so at the top,v substantially asrepresented in Fig. l, said vaporizer being constructed of metal eithersolid or hollow, and havinga small gutter (l, around its base; and abovethis vaporizer there is supported within said chamber C, a funnel I-I,to which the overflowv of tar from the hydraulic main is all conveyed bya pipe I. This tar, dripping through the bottom of the funnel on to thetop of the vaporizer, trickles slowly down the exterior surface of thelatter, Which being kept at a high temperature by the fire Which almostentirely surrounds the vaporizing chamber O, eects the vaporization ofthe Whole of this tar., The vapor thus produced, finding no other meansof escape, passes into the space 0, under the grating b, and escapesthrough said grating among the coal or other substance in the retort,and is there decomposed by heat and converted into gas, which passesoii' by the pipe E, along with What is generated by the substancecontained in the retort. The gutter d, receives any tar that is notvaporized in the act of running dovvn the surface of the vaporizer andprevents its falling on to the bottom of the retort and becomingcarbonized, and retains it till it is vaporized.

K, is the movable head of the retort, which set forth.

JOHN GEORGE HOOK. Witnesses:

W. TUsoH, I. W. CooMBs.

